And this once again got its formatting screwed. Because of course it did. So I've had to painstakingly fix it but by bit. Starting to have second thoughts about staying on this site...
This is like the shit cherry on top of the shit sundae, mind you. My chromebook crashed and I lost all my tabs, thus screwing up my research, as well as nuking all the anime and Tokusatsu I had saved to watch, and the lo-fi background music that I listen to when I write. So, not enjoying myself much rn.
This chapter will have a cliffhanger at the end. I'm not sorry. But I'm getting closer to some things. This is one of the chapters I have 'in the tank' so to speak, so things really are moving along, I promise.
As an aside, I'm grateful to both my current Patrons, 'J' and 'NimbleFlourish' for supporting me. Thanks for showing my work some love, guys.
Disclaimer: Godzilla and all related trademarks are owned and licensed by Toho Co., Ltd, Legendary Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures. High School DxD is owned and licensed by Ichiei Ishibumi and Fujimi Shobo. I own neither series, please support official releases.
"Dude! What is this?" Motohama gaped in shock.
"Uh…they're new students at the dojo?" I offered.
Murayama and Katase, to their credit, only gave the three boys blank stares. I did warn those two that the three idiots would be there. That they still showed up regardless surprised me, but I could understand why.
Though Katase was definitely giving Issei some odd looks. Wonder what that's about?
"For real? Hah~! This is amazing~!" Matsuda said cheerfully. "I can't wait-"
"Oi!" Sousei came up behind the bald boy and tugged on his ear, a vicious grin on her lips. "I hope you weren't planning on doing something stupid? 'Cause it would be really bad if something were to happen to you as a result…"
At the dark-haired girl's glare, my brother and our remaining friend backed away in horror. Issei gave me a pleading look as I stalked over to him.
"Yeah, so, you remember the rules, right?" I asked with a dark look.
"Yeah, yeah! We won't peek on the girls when they're changing!" my brother whined while deflating.
"Cool! Anyway…huh, wait, where's-"
"Sorry I'm late!" Tsubasa called out while entering the dojo with a hysterical look, her pack slung over her shoulder.
"Relax! You're on time," I waved to the bluenette.
"No way! Isn't that the sexy tomboy who's running for Student Council?" Matsuda, despite now being in a headlock, asked.
"Sexy tomboy?" the blue-haired girl asked dumbly.
"Tsubasa asked me about the dojo because she's into martial arts. So I, uh, told her about it," I shrugged when my brother and our friends turned to me in confusion. "Actually, there was also that thing she and Murayama got involved in. I guess they decided to join on principle."
"It's a lot more complicated than that," the brunette muttered.
"No! No, I won't have it!" a voice cried out.
"Eh?" I blinked to see a familiar blonde charging towards me. "Saji, the hell is it this time?"
"Not only was it with some random floozy in the Martial Arts Club, but now my political rival as well? Hyoudou Isashi, how dare you cuck me?!"
"...Wut?!"
"You cucked me, you bastard! I'm supposed to be your rival, and instead you're prancing around with her?!" Saji motioned towards Tsubasa angrily. "How could you do this to me?! Just what do you get out of cucking me?!"
"Would you quit saying it like that?!" I groaned angrily.
"Quit cucking me and I will!" the blonde screamed.
"Hahaha! Saji's a cuck!" Sousei cheered.
"...Is this normal? I swear it wasn't like this last week," Murayama muttered.
"It's pretty standard, yeah," a voice chimed in from behind her.
"Oi, Aichi!" I called out to the dopey boy as he entered. "How ya doing?"
"Eh, I'm alright…yeah, I know, the outfit," Aichi motioned to his colorful 80s leotard, headband, and wristbands. "I was doing a thing with my club, okay? It wasn't anything serious."
"You look ridiculous!" the dark-haired girl cackled.
"Yeah, yeah, fuck you too," the dopey boy sighed before turning his head. "Oi?! Kazuto?! Are you still moping?!"
"I don't want it…" the dark-haired boy hissed under his breath as he entered the dojo. His eyes were wild and unfocused, and there were bags beneath. "I don't want it. I don't…wanna…be the protagonist. I don't want it."
"Ah, shit! He's still on that, huh?" I sighed. "I have no idea what the Robotics Club did to him to cause that. But it's kind of worrying…"
"Should we be worried? It seems like some sort of dark curse or something," Tsubasa frowned.
"Eh, he'll be fine. He's probably just in a funk," I shrugged while turning away from the blonde. "Anyway, we should get to the special area. I wanna start on that asap."
"Special-wait, don't tell me? Did you get selected for the 'special training'?" Aichi pointed at me accusingly. "Just what the hell is this?! I've been here longer than you, and I haven't gotten it yet!"
"Actually, all four of us were selected," the blue-haired girl pointed to herself and the other two, before motioning to me.
"No! No way! That's not fair!" the dopey boy whined.
I flinched as Saji grabbed onto my shoulder. "Isashi! I won't accept this! I won't accept that you've gotten this better than me! All the while you're just cucking me! Damn you!"
"Saji, if you don't want to be 'cucked', quit acting like a cuck, then," I replied in annoyance.
"Waaah?! How could you say such a thing?!" the blonde whined.
"You know, Saji, that's real rich coming from you!" Sousei teased while dropping Matsuda to the ground. "Considering that you're busy cucking Issei by simping for his brother~!"
"Wut?"
"Excuse me, what?!" Murayama cried out.
"H-Haah~? Wait, now I'm getting all sorts of images in my head!" Katase clasped her hands to her cheeks with a whine.
"I was not expecting to hear a sentence like that ever," Tsubasa deadpanned.
"Oi, Saji~? Y'know, Sousei-chan is right! After all the training I've done to make you notice me, you still keep going after my brother!" Issei said darkly, a very…uh, possessive look in his eyes. "Just what made you choose him over me, huh? Just what does he have that I don't~?"
"Wait, Issei! Calm down! You don't have to go all Yuno Gasai on me, you know that, right?" Saji chuckled nervously. "Hey, that smile is really creepy, y'know! Wait, where'd you get that meat cleaver?! Ah! AH! AH! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
As we watched the scene unfold, the bluenette just groaned. "I thought this was supposed to be a dojo."
"It is. But stuff like this happens," I shrugged.
"I still can't believe you and a bunch of newbies are getting the 'special training'!" Aichi cried out.
"I still can't believe you haven't changed out of that outfit," I shot back.
"Don't dodge the subject! How the hell did you even pull this off?!"
I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Well, isn't that a story…"
Of course, I wasn't gonna tell Aichi that story, obviously.
See, it started at school at just near the end of last week. I was hauling my ass across campus despite my aches, pains, and chest wound. Everything was me going through the motions and ignoring the fact that I was being stalked by a kitsune who, as of late, was doing a far better job of hiding than previously.
Plus, y'know, I was dodging the dozens of other yokai across campus. Fun times~!
I was just about to head to class when somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a familiar brunette standing behind me, along with her pink-haired heterosexual life partner. Both of them had their hands on their bokken, which they still carried at their sides.
"...Hey?" I frowned when Murayama glared at me. "So, is this a shakedown? I've only got around a thousand yen, so if you really think it's worth it-"
"Just come with us, damn it!"
"Alright, alright! I can understand wanting a bit of privacy when you rob somebody." I shrugged while holding my hands up as the two girls practically threatened me. "We could've done this outside of school, y'know? I mean, I'm pretty sure Kaichou will get on my ass just for getting mugged."
I heard Katase groan. "Seriously? Are you sure you weren't making things up?"
"Pretty sure, yeah," the brunette sighed.
The place they'd led me to was a closed off space behind a building, with no windows or doors present. Tsubasa and I used it to talk and coordinate when we were working around the yokai at school, and she'd practically made it our go-to meeting place for when she wanted to set up patrols. So I was unsurprised when I saw the bluenette already waiting for us.
"Oh, hey! So you set this up? Neat! Listen, you guys can take the money. Just leave my IDs alone! I kinda need those."
Tsubasa shook her head in annoyance. "Can you just set up the barrier already?"
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Yeah, sure. Just give me a second…"
I lowered my hands and began digging into my pack for talismans, before walking past the two kendoka and affixing as many paper talismans as I could to the entrance of the pseudo-alley. I eyed the trees and bushes nearby suspiciously as I did so, intermittently stretching my energy-sense in weak pulses just to get a feel. While I wasn't quite sure whether something had followed us, we were pretty much alone at this point.
I backed away and held my hands out. "Right then! Magic bullshit, go!"
I clasped my hands, and the ofuda lit up with brilliant energy. Blue light flashed and expanded, creating a wall that stretched up and across the entrance to the alleyway and then some. While it would also keep us trapped, it would prevent anything else from getting in…I hoped.
"Holy shit!" I heard the pinkette gasp. When I turned, she was staring at the magical barrier in shock. "It's true. Y-You fought some freaky demon to save her! And all that stuff about Ki and stuff at your dojo was-I can't believe this!"
"Yeah, it's pretty nuts," I shrugged.
"It's just like I said, Katase. That 'guy in the halloween' mask was some monster who was stalking us for…y-y'know what I told you. He cornered me and…" the brunette swallowed nervously while shaking in place. "Hyoudou showed up and tried to stop him. Even when he was losing, he wasn't giving up. Tsubasa made the odds a little more even, but if it weren't for Nitani-san, we'd be dead."
"S-So monsters and ghosts and magic exist?! And you're some sort of wizard?!" Katase asked while pointing at me.
"N-No, not exactly. Well, not yet, I hope. I just get a bunch of talismans from my senseis and my Obaachan all the time, and I figured out how to make them work." I tilted my head towards the mystical barrier I'd set up, a frown tugging at my lips. "That should keep weaker yokai from getting in. Regular Bakemono and Obake might be able to test the barrier, and really strong ones and maybe demons might be able to bring it down."
"Why would we need to worry, anyway?" the pinkette asked.
"...You didn't tell her?" I asked the other two girls.
"W-Well, I wasn't going to just tell her! She'd freak out!" Murayama whined.
"I was thinking we should be…g-gentle about it," Tsubasa muttered.
I sighed in annoyance before turning to Katase with a deadpan look. "Every girl in the Martial Arts Club is a monster of some sort. Hell, a lot of students are actually yokai of some variation."
The pinkette made a sound not unlike a dying pterodactyl. I tilted my head but shrugged before continuing.
"You and Murayama literally talk to about three or four yokai a day, since our class has a few in it. We actually walked past a lot of yokai while we were walking here," I huffed while inclining my head thoughtfully. "It's why I did the whole 'oh, are you robbing me?' schtick. It made them think you guys were about to whale on me."
The pinkette's head lolled to the side, a blank look of horror on her face. "W-Wuh? No, that's not-"
"Also, I'm being stalked by yokai. You know Tamane? First girl I flirted with? She's a nine-tailed fox, and she's probably the only thing that could break that barrier." I let out a small snort while tilting my head. "Then again, I could probably bullshit my way through dealing with her if she actually got on my ass. Same as Arakita, the Yuki-Onna, and Morizako, the Jorōgumo. If all the Yokai in town ganged up on me, that still wouldn't make me go for the nuclear option at this point-well, unless they had a few Gashadokuro."
Tsubasa stared at the now panicking Katase before turning to me with a curious look. "Wait, nuclear option? What's your 'nuclear option'?"
"Don't ask!" I said darkly.
"Ah? Ah, the, uh, thing you don't wanna talk about…" Tsubasa said nervously.
"Yeah, and we're gonna nix that entire conversation, period," I said flatly.
The bluenette sighed before turning to the pinkette and lightly shaking her. "Relax! Being scared isn't going to help."
"So, I'm wondering…it can't be as bad as you're saying, can it?" I turned to Murayama as she asked me this, her eyes looking at me almost desperately as she leaned forward. "Hyoudou, please tell me you're just exaggerating! I get it, you're playing stupid about a lot of things to fly under the radar-I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner. But you have to be blowing this out of proportion!"
"...I mean, maybe I could bring down the barrier?" I mused. "I could run into the bushes, drag out either Tamane or whichever other yokai is currently eavesdropping, and show them off. Will that convince you?"
"Meep!"
"I actually think I've got a better idea," Tsubasa announced.
Then she pulled out two vials of bright red liquid-and I do mean red. So red that it actually made the blue-haired girl's appearance take on a red hue with how it glowed. She presented them to the two girls and motioned for them to take them.
"What is this?" Katase asked.
"The blood of a Hihi. I regularly patrol the town and fight yokai, and recently I've invited Isashi to join me. With his help, three yokai that regularly kidnapped and ate children were dealt with," the bluenette nodded while motioning to the blood vials. "One of those was a yokai called a Hihi, a type of monkey creature with enhanced speed. Not long after I'd killed it, I returned to its body to acquire its blood, which I'm told has special properties."
"It can be used as a special red dye that never fades or runs. And it's a really good red color, too," I shrugged.
"I was talking about the other effect," Tsubasa deadpanned.
"Oh, that? Yeah, if you drink that, it'll let you see monsters and ghosts and stuff," I said cheerfully.
"You killed a bunch of monsters?!" the pinkette cried out.
"Would you cool it?! Seriously, don't go announcing that," I deadpanned.
"You're saying that if we drink this, it'll give us the ability to see them?" Murayama asked.
"...Murayama. Katase. Think carefully before you do it," I said darkly. At their worried looks, I turned away. "I've been able to see the supernatural since I was a child, and I can do that naturally. Everything I do-that I've done, was me doing my best to keep it from dragging me in. Even my 'tendencies' were something to make me look like I wasn't something to pay attention to."
"Are you for real?" the brunette deadpanned.
"It's not a joke! When I was nine, a demon tried…something. I think he might've really killed me. I was genuinely afraid for my life." I shuddered while remembering the dark shadow I saw years ago, the memory of his piercing golden eyes still pinning me in place. "Just being able to see them opens you up to that. For every weak little prankster spirit that only likes to play games, there's a real monster hiding in the shadows, waiting to rip you to shreds. And if you notice them, they'll start to take notice of you."
"...Hah~! W-Why'd you have to make it sound scary like that?!" Katase whined.
Murayama simply stared at me before uncorking her vial and lifting it to her lips. The vermillion fluid sunk into her mouth, and I heard a small gag escape her lips before she continued drinking. When she finished, she let out a disgusted noise while waving the vial around.
"How did it taste?" the pinkette asked.
"Like blood. It's all coppery and stuff. But there was something else…ah, I can't describe it," the brunette shivered. "Not pleasant, but I can handle it."
Katase swallowed nervously before looking down at her vial. Then she uncorked it and downed the entire thing in one go. She let out a hacking cough while pounding her chest, but she still kept it down.
"Agh! That is gross! Yeah, it's got a weird aftertaste. Blech!"
"Well, that was unexpected," I shrugged. "So, since you two really wanna know, I'll drop the barrier. Take your time going through the entire school day and weekend to see what we're talking about."
"You're serious? You're that confident that you're not exaggerating?" Murayama huffed.
"...Word of advice. Don't look at them. The ones who don't look human at all, ignore them completely. If you see students or anybody who looks like they're not staying hidden, they're in their human disguises." I shrugged as I walked towards the talismans I'd placed. "Don't look at their animal features, no matter what. They'll figure out you know if you keep staring at their ears and tails."
"He's serious about this? There's no way-"
"He knows more about them than I do. Trust his advice," Tsubasa interjected, giving the brunette a flat look. "And if any of them get wise, find either of us. Even if we have to blow our 'cover', I'm still not gonna let them cause problems."
"Hey, the moment I realized I could throw hands with 'em, I was all for it," I shrugged cheerfully as I brought down the barrier. "But yeah, first sign of trouble, I'm willing to help out, same as last time. Good luck…"
Close to the near present
"I cannot believe you thought it was a good idea to feed the two of them demon blood," Kai-sensei deadpanned as we all sat in his office.
"To be fair, that was Tsubasa's. I just rolled with it," I shrugged.
"I have seen nightmares walking our streets," Murayama said darkly, her eyes unfocused. "I will never forget all that I've seen. My life will never be the same."
Katase simply whimpered. There was a desperate look in her eyes.
"Ugh! I should make you get rid of all that stuff," the blonde man sighed tiredly while glaring at Tsubasa and I. "Okay, so, first thing's first. You two are done picking proper fights with demons for a while."
"What?!"
"Eh, fine by me," I shrugged.
"No! Not fine!" the bluenette cried out. "You can't just stop us! I have to face them! If I don't try to stop them-"
"Tsubasa, we're in an alliance with multiple dojos and other gyms that know about yokai. We regularly patrol with dozens of people at night in secret," Kai-sensei gave the blue-haired girl a flat look. "I don't want you two taking on any more monsters until you've gotten far enough into your training with Ki and Spirit Energy. Considering that's slow going, that won't be happening anytime soon."
While Tsubasa groaned dejectedly, I gave the blonde man a frown. "Don't call them that!"
"...W-What?"
"Monsters. Don't call them monsters," I said with a glower.
Kai-sensei blinked at me in confusion. "I-Isashi, they're literally inhuman creatures. We kill them because they're a problem-"
"What problems are some of them causing? If you're talking about the ones who eat children, I took care of two of those fuckers." I leaned forward with a dark look. "So you really have no reason to go around killing all of them."
Tsubasa groaned in annoyance at my words. "Sorry! He's got this…this thing where he says that yokai aren't just all evil. I wanna believe it…but it's really hard when you see otherwise."
"Isashi, yokai are dangerous," the blonde man chided me like I was a child. "I don't need to tell you about how they kill people-more than you'd believe, mind you. Plus, they prank and scare people for their own amusement, and-"
"Oh, so do you kill human pranksters, too? 'Cause murder is a bit of an escalation," I said hotly.
"Fuck's sake, Isashi! They're not even human!"
"So racism then? You can't even find a good reason?" I growled.
"Isashi, I get you wanna believe that they can't all be evil. But yokai are literal monsters!" Kai-sensei sighed tiredly. "They're dangerous to humans, period! You can't reason with them!"
"You don't know that for sure. You just go around killing them for nothing!" I said curtly.
"We're protecting people," the blonde said darkly. "Good people who are scared and desperate. If innocent people weren't being frightened and terrified, we wouldn't have to do anything to them."
"How many named people have died from a prank?" I asked coldly, a disgusted noise escaping my clenched teeth when Kai-sensei looked away. "You can't justify this, Kai-sensei! They're not just 'monsters', they're part of nature itself. They're meant to be a little chaotic. Killing them isn't going to solve the problem!"
"If it saves people, then there isn't a problem at all," Kai-sensei gave me a tired glare. "Unless you have a better option?"
"I…not killing them for harmless pranks, as a start? That's too much!"
"Not really an option at this point." The blonde's gaze softened. "I'm not gonna stop training you, but I'm pretty certain of it now that you'll need to stay out of this fight. For your sake, Isashi…"
Now
"I think we gave you three the rundown, but your new plus-one wasn't here for it," Tatsumiya mused while tilting her head to Katase. "I'll have to fix that. Take a seat, all of you."
The four of us sat in front of the purple-haired girl. The room we were in wasn't quite geared towards actual sparring and training. Everybody was meditating or lying down, conjuring up some sort of energy around them.
I could feel it, even without my energy sense activated. I just had this feeling that some of the people around us were using power I couldn't yet understand. It was like this electrical feeling that ran down the back of my neck and made my hair stand on end.
"The gist of this is that we teach you how to unlock your Ki and your Spiritual Energy respectively," the purple-haired girl pressed her hands together and hummed as bright white energy surrounded her form and lavender energy lit up within her chest. "We'll also teach you how to harness and use this energy in different ways. If we decide you're all up for…c-certain tasks, we'll evaluate you on them. But only if you can learn to use these powers. Do you understand?"
I nodded along with the three girls. Tatsumiya gave us all an appraising gaze before nodding. The energy flashing around her and within her cut off as she gave us a harsh look.
"You're gonna start by meditating. I know this is gonna sound esoteric as hell, but you have to reach out within yourself and grasp at your own Ki to unlock it."
"You're right, that does sound esoteric. Maybe we should write a manual or something," I mused.
"We'll put it on the itinerary," the purple-haired girl huffed. "Now, get to meditating!"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, along with the others. Thing is, I had no idea where to start.
'Reach within and grasp at your own Ki to unlock it'. On paper, that sounds like it makes sense, but in practice…how? Like, what the hell am I supposed to be looking for? They really need a guidebook for this shit, because I'm already confused as hell.
At least I use meditation as a chance to focus on other things…
Earlier that week
"...So, how'd your weekend go so far?" I asked cheerfully.
Murayama and Katase looked like death warmed over. Their eyes were wild and unfocused, and they were fearfully refusing to make eye contact. Everything about their stances looked like somebody who was constantly on guard.
I clicked my teeth while giving Tsubasa a worried look. "Hey, I think this was a bad idea."
"...Yeah, maybe," the bluenette admitted.
"H-How?"
"Hmm?" I tilted my head at the brunette's question. "I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea why there's so many or how they got here. I mean, apparently our town sits on an entrance to the underworld. That might've done it."
"Meep!" Katase whimpered.
"No! I meant…how do you deal with it? How did you deal with it? How did you not go insane?!" Murayama cried out.
"...What makes you think I'm sane?" I said with an empty chuckle.
The brunette's jaw dropped in horror. "Oh, dear god."
"To be fair, it's not just the yokai. I've got other issues," I shrugged. "But yeah, having to constantly walk around ignoring the dangerous supernatural creatures that could kill me in various ways gets nerve wracking sometimes. That's why I told you to think carefully about your decision."
"...Hah! So, what now?! W-What do I do? What do we do?!" Murayama whined.
"That's up to you. You can't remove the ability to see them, as far as I know," I shrugged. "Until recently, I just ignored them. If you can stomach being around them all the time, that might work."
"If it weren't for recent events, I would've tried to recruit you to hunt any of the dangerous ones. But after last week, I…I'm starting to think joining that dojo might help," Tsubasa hummed thoughtfully. "On my own, I've only been able to take down weaker spirits. With Isashi's help, I had a better chance against the stronger ones. But if I were to learn how to harness mystical powers…"
The implication was clear. None of them wanted to be afraid to walk around the streets. Personally, I couldn't blame them. Syu-sensei had given me a fair pitch when he'd talked about training to use Ki.
Maybe, just maybe, I could use that. Maybe as a way to better contain him, to keep him from waking up. And even if that didn't work, I'd still be getting a powerful weapon to use against any dangerous yokai.
"I was thinking about taking Syu-sensei's offer. That is, he said he'd teach me how to use Ki." I tilted my head as a frown tugged at my lips. "I'm thinking I'd be stupid not to take it. I don't think every spirit or monster is evil, but I think I've realized hiding the way I am wasn't going to work for long."
"...How much does tuition cost?" the other two girls asked.
Now
"So what did you need to talk to us about, anyway?" Kai-sensei asked me when I walked into his office. "I can imagine you didn't unlock your Ki. You don't look too bothered by that, though."
"It took me six years to train in martial arts to get to my current level. I think I can handle meditating to find my internal energy…could use some better directions," I huffed while taking a seat. "I just…I need to talk about some things that happened today. One of them involves Nii-san."
"Shit! Please tell me he's not getting mixed up in this," he motioned for Tatsumiya to come in quickly. "He's a good kid. I don't wanna have to worry he'll get hurt."
"W-Well…see, that's gonna be a bit of an issue," I flinched when the office door opened and sighed when Tsubasa walked in with Murayama and Katase. "I was already telling him about-"
"About Toujou Koneko," the bluenette nodded to me while turning to the blonde man. "She's one of the yokai at our school. I've been keeping an eye on her since I found out."
"Wait, what?! Koneko-chan's a yokai?!" Katase cried out.
"She's a nekomata of some kind, yeah," I shrugged.
"Close the door! And why would Issei be involved with this?" Kai-sensei asked nervously.
I felt a bout of smug laughter pass my lips. "Because my brother is finally getting a date~!"
"...Bullshit!"
"No, it's true. Issei is going on a date with Koneko this weekend," Tsubasa grumbled. "I'm still uncertain it's genuine."
"Woah, wait, really?! Issei…on a date! I call bullshit!" Tatsumiya crossed her arms in exasperation. "How the hell did he pull that off?!"
I gave the purple-haired girl a smug grin. "Well, if you really wanna know…"
Earlier that afternoon
"Koneko-chan! Please go on a date with me!"
I'm gonna be honest, the look on the hidden cat-girl's face when he asked was priceless. It's the kind of look somebody would have when they're realizing that they've fucked up. Said 'I fucked up' look quickly switched to one of pure hunger…wait, hold on! Why does she look hungry?
"Are…are those for me?" the white-haired girl asked while pointing to the chocolates.
"Absolutely! I wanted to give you something sweet, because you deserve it!" my brother said kindly.
"Damn him! How could he?!" Matsuda whined.
"Bastard! Just what the hell is he doing, showing off like that?!" Motohama hissed under his breath.
"Damn pretty boy!"
"Die handsome!"
"Can't he just disappear?!"
Issei and Koneko, to their credit, were doing a good job of ignoring the peanut gallery. Though, to be fair, Issei was on his knees with his eyes closed while presenting the girl with a box of chocolates. The cat-girl, meanwhile, was drooling, a hungry glint in her eye as she eyed the box covetously.
…Wait, is chocolate good for cats?
Quick google search on my phone says the answer is no. Although, maybe being a yokai circumvents that weakness?
"I-Issei-kun! Yes, I'll go on a date with you!" the hidden cat-girl said as he handed her the chocolates, a bright glint in her eyes as she held them close. "Thank you so much!"
…Or maybe she was just doing that thing where cats get into things that they shouldn't. Judging by the drool coming from her mouth, that was becoming more likely by the second.
Now
"And your brother is gonna be alone with her?" Kai-sensei supplied, a worried look on his face. "For an entire afternoon? Without anybody to help him?"
"...Oh, shit."
"I don't think you need to worry. It doesn't seem like she actually wants to hurt him," Tsubasa chimed in, a wry grin tugging at her lips. "Otherwise she won't have an easy way to feed her chocolate fix~!"
"Are…are you telling me that Issei, of all people, seduced a nekomata…with chocolate?!" Tatsumiya's jaw dropped at my nervous nod. "I give up! That's too crazy to make up! There's no way! I can't believe it!"
"Eh, that should mean he's alright. Either he ends up poisoning her, or he uses Pavlovian conditioning to tame her." I suddenly felt my blood run cold. "Oh dear god, I just realized what my brother might do with a tamed cat girl!"
"Yeah, I think we all realized what he'd do with her," Murayama deadpanned.
"Use her as a demon bodyguard to get whatever he wants," I said darkly.
"Okay, clearly we had different thought-processes, because that never crossed my mind. But now it is…" the brunette shuddered. "We're all doomed."
"Calm down! Issei's not the kind of person who'd do that. As pervy as he is, he was always a good kid otherwise." Kai-sensei nervously rubbed the back of his head.
"I guess I'm more worried about why she was following him. Which, by the way, I don't know why." I frowned and cupped my chin in thought. "She was stalking me beforehand, mind you. She gave up and turned to my brother instead."
"Did anything clue you in on her goals?" the purple-haired girl asked me.
"Couldn't say. From what I've heard, Koneko usually keeps to herself and doesn't talk much," I shrugged.
"Well, that's a big dead end…" she sighed. "What else is new? Did you notice anything else that was strange?"
"Well, two things at once before the big thing." I cupped a hand to my chin in thought. "So, first off, one of these involves Kazuto. This…this is pretty worrying…"
Earlier that afternoon
"Hyoudou Isashi! The Special Science Search Party demands your enrollment into our ranks!"
"...The what?!"
The schoolgirl standing before me was fairly attractive. She had dark eyes, long black hair that was done into drills, and a determined face. She had a pleasingly voluptuous figure that her outfit hugged nicely, though I found it odd that she was wearing a much longer cape than other students.
"We are the Special Science Search Party! A research club dedicated to exploring the unknown and cataloging them to find their secrets!"
"...Isn't that the Occult Research Club?" I asked in confusion.
"Absolutely not! The Occult Research Club believes that ghosts, monsters, and supernatural beings exist! The charlatans!" the drill-haired girl growled angrily. "The Special Science Search Party believes everything can be explained with science! So-called 'ghosts' can be explained away as natural phenomena through the scientific method! Any possible forms of 'magic' are simply an expression of Clarke's Third Law!"
"Oh, that thing where any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic?" I asked.
"Exactly!"
"So, you're into aliens? That seems pretty much like the ORC's line of expertise," I mused.
"Absolutely not! The ORC is not allowed to have any authority when it comes to extraterrestrial intelligence!" the girl roared while making a flourish. "Alien life and their 'abilities' can be explained through sufficient scientific analysis! We at the Special Science Search Party will endeavor to explain the secrets of the world with facts and logic, not pathetic superstitions!"
"...Neat."
"That is why I have come to beseech you, Hyoudou Isashi! As someone who was burned by the fools at the Occult Research Club, surely you feel grateful for the opportunity to join our ranks to learn the truth!"
I felt a grimace tugging at my lips as I glanced away from the girl. "Hey, listen, you're clearly misinterpreting things, okay? And you're really gorgeous, but-"
"Ohohoho? Are my feminine wiles enticing you~? Surely that can be described as a benefit to joining our group!" The drill-haired girl placed her hands on her hips while pushing her chest forward, a wicked grin tugging at her lips. "Perfect! Surely you will join the Special Science Search Party under these conditions! I promise, I can make it worth your while~!"
"Your, uh, feminine wiles are offset by the whole chuunibyou thing. And you're misreading the situation completely." I inclined my head tiredly. "I didn't get burned by the ORC. They invited me, and I rejected them."
"Hah? Truly?! Then that must mean you're a man dedicated to science! I humbly accept your membership, Hyoudou-kun~!"
"I'm not joining."
"Gaaah!" the girl crashed to the ground in shock, looking up at me with a pathetic expression. "What?! But whyyyyyyy?!"
"Because I'm not interested. Leave me be."
"No! I refuse! You will join the Special Science Search Party! I won't give up until you do!" the girl cried out.
"...That's nice. Now, I've gotta go-"
"ISASHI!"
"Hmm? Oh, it's Protagonist," I mused as I saw Protagonist charging towards me. "Hey, he actually got burned by the ORC. Maybe you want him in your club?"
"Oh? Perhaps, just for today, I'll take it as a consolation prize~!" the drill-haired girl huffed while turning towards the charging boy. "Protagonist! I humbly demand-"
I had to hold back a barking laugh as Protagonist ran right past the poor girl like she wasn't even there. My humor fell when he desperately grabbed onto my shirt and started weeping fearfully.
"Hey, uh, Kazuto," I said gently. "You okay? What happened?"
"Don't wanna!" his muffled voice cried out.
"Uh…w-what?"
"I don't wanna be the protagonist!" he whined again, now looking up at me with tears in his eyes. "I don't wanna be the protagonist! I don't wanna!"
"...'Kay, so, what brought this up?" I asked nervously.
"Ah! There he is!"
"Hmm?" I blinked when I noticed two people walking over. "Oi, don't I recognize you guys?"
The first one was an older man with short, messy brown hair, brown eyes, and a small goatee. He was wearing a white t-shirt, sweatpants and thick boots, and a badge around his neck, along with a whistle. He had a shaky grin on his face as he walked over, and he was giving both Protagonist and I a nervous look.
Next to him was the boy I remembered from the stand for the Robotics Club. Just like I remembered, he was a well-dressed boy around my age, with black hair and dark eyes. The look on his face showed no expression, like he was keeping his emotions controlled.
The way the two of them moved, however, was worrying. The older man moved purposefully, like he had every intention of getting to his next destination no matter what got in his way. Meanwhile, the boy beside him moved like a predator stalking around, ready to pounce.
"Uh, right, hi! My name is Itami Yoji, and I'm the gym teacher," the older man said while giving a nervous wave.
"Yeah, I remember you. Not sure what you're here for, though," my eyes shifted to the suited boy as I grimaced. "I remember you too, from a while back. I never got your name, by the way."
The expressionless boy tilted his head blanky. "My name is Genkai Maaki. I apologize for not introducing myself last time."
"No problem! Now…uh, the hell did you two do to him?" I asked while motioning to the boy who was clutching to me like his life depended on it. "Because I doubt it was anything nice."
"Nothing nefarious, we assure you," Genkai said with his monotone voice. "I only spoke to him about joining the Robotics Club. I'm not sure why he reacted like this."
"They're lying! They know what they did!" Protagonist whined. "Don't let them take me! Don't let them!"
"Hey, let's all just calm down. Now, I'm one of the teachers overseeing the Robotics Club, and things didn't quite go down like Kazuto thinks," Yoji-sensei said placatingly. "The only thing I can imagine is that somebody said something odd, and he broke down. This is all just a big misunderstanding."
"Look, if he doesn't wanna join your club, he doesn't wanna join your club," I said with a shrug. "You kinda have to accept that."
The expressionless boy cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. "I assure you, that's not quite the reason I want to speak with him. The offer to join the club itself is inconsequential."
"Ah~? So then that is my chance to make my move!" the drill-haired girl suddenly chimed in loudly, spinning around with a wild chuckle. "I shall snatch up this poor boy you're accosting and introduce him into the ranks of the Special Science Search Party~! Surely you must be in awe of my generosity!"
"...The, uh, the Special Science Search Party?" Genkai showed a surprising amount of confusion as he turned to the girl. "Just what are you going on about? And who are you?"
The drill-haired girl fell flat on her face in shock. "This isn't fair! The SSSP will be taken seriously! Just you wait!"
"I simply want to talk to him in private," the expressionless boy said, ignoring the whining girl while motioning to Kazuto. "I don't want there to cause any trouble, I promise. I only wish to discuss some things with him."
I noticed, just for a split second, that his eyes flashed a brilliant gold. I felt…I felt something. It was like a tickling sensation at the back of my head. I almost felt dizzy for a split second.
*Grrrrrrrrrrrrr…*
My vision suddenly sharpened, and I had to fight back the growl that was building in my throat.
Genkai stumbled back just a bit, his eyes going wide. Next to him, Yoji-sensei blinked, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward slightly.
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Oi, Kazuto! I'm going to let them talk with you-"
"P-Please, don't! Don't leave me!" Protagonist whined.
"I'm going to be just around the corner! I promise. If anything happens, just call for me, okay?"
Now
"And that's what happened with Kazuto," I finished.
Kai-sensei leaned back in his chair while laying his hands on his desk, a frown tugging at his lips. Beside him, Syu-sensei-who had joined halfway and was quickly brought up to speed-was crossing his arms and looking at the floor worriedly. Further away, Tatsumiya sat on her hands while swallowing nervously.
"I have no idea what they talked about, but Kazuto didn't call for me. He just made some weird small-talk with them, and then they all left," I shrugged. "I…I swear I thought it was kinda freaky. But I guess nothing bad was happening-or, at least, they made it seem that way."
"Do you think Genkai is a yokai?" Tsubasa asked.
"Hmm…nah! He feels human." I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Still, he's got…something. Are there any other powers besides magic and Ki and that…uh, that Spirit stuff?"
"Spirit Energy," Tatsumiya offered. "While Ki comes from the body and your life-force, Spirit Energy comes from your soul itself. They have different techniques and applications, but they often go hand in hand."
"The way you're talking, it doesn't sound like Spirit Energy," Syu-sensei motioned to Murayama. "When you fought that, um, stray devil, what you conjured looked like ghostly fire, right? That was Spirit Energy. It's a bit more difficult to harness than Ki, at least under normal circumstances."
"For real?" the brunette asked while looking at herself. "I've gotta figure out how this stuff works."
"Are we gonna ignore that 'science girl'?" the bluenette chimed in.
"Why not? I did, after all," I shrugged.
"I'm pretty sure they're just girls who wanted to join the same club as Kiba-kun, and got rejected. I mean…c-can relate," Katase muttered, though there was an oddly confused look in her eyes. "But I don't get the idea of creating a rival club. It just seems petty."
"I would've thought the same thing if I hadn't heard that girl speak. She has way deeper issues than just some guy," I huffed. "So, other than that…the Martial Arts Club finally got back to me."
"Wait, what?" Tsubasa stumbled a bit as she turned to me.
"The same Martial Arts Club that's infested with yokai?" the purple-haired girl deadpanned.
"Yeah, that Martial Arts Club. And 'infested'?!" I flinched back at the deadpan looks Kai-sensei and some of the others were giving me. "Fuckin' hell, you guys. Look, it wasn't like I had a dangerous encounter."
"Well, what happened then?" the blonde man asked flatly.
"...Well, you see-"
A few hours earlier
See, I was planning on heading to the dojo asap. The issue with Protagonist was sorted out-though he would talk about it-and I'd managed to lose that weird girl trying to get me to join her ripoff ORC. All I cared about right now was how to gain mystical martial arts powers in order to fight monsters.
Unfortunately, life had other plans. And those plans stopped me in my tracks halfway through getting to the gates.
The schoolgirl currently blocking my path was inhumanly gorgeous. And considering the trend that followed that, I was assuming she was one of the 'Great Onee-samas of Kuoh'. It would honestly make sense.
She was a tall girl with smooth, creamy pale skin. Her dark hair was cut hime-style, with straight bangs and side locks framing her face. The rest was done into straight pigtails which trailed behind her and down to her back. Slung over her shoulder was a small bag that reached her hips.
Her eyes were a shade of lavender that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her heart-shaped face was lovely, although her nose was somewhat angular, it was still small and cute. On the left side of her chin was a small beauty mark.
And, of course, she had an extremely voluptuous figure. Certainly not on the same level as Tamane, Tatsumiya, or Anne, but she was up there in the top ten. Pleasing thighs and hips, a slim waist, a very buxom chest, they all stood out to me-don't judge me, damn it! I'm a thigh/hip guy, I can't handle it.
"Hyoudou Isashi?" the girl's melodious voice rang out.
"That do be who I am, yes," I nodded.
The mysterious girl's eyes flashed, and her lips twitched. "My name is Kurikawa Haneko. I'm a member of the Cultural Heritage Club, and the Martial Arts Club."
"Huh? Oh, so…wait, is this it? You guys already came to a decision?"
"Correct!" Kurikawa nodded while batting her eyes coquettishly. "When Anne-sama heard about your win against Morizako, she was curious about some things. So she decided she wanted to investigate it personally. Part of that is sending me here."
"Ah, so I'm not joining?" I asked, trying to hide the dejection from my voice.
"Not quite. All Anne-sama is doing is looking over some things involving the recruitment process." the lavender-eyed beauty cocked her head to the side, a curious grin tugging at her lips. "From what I've heard, there were complaints regarding it. I'm not sure of the finer details myself, but that may mean your application could be voided."
"...Ah, is that so? Well, I guess it can't be helped." I tried to walk forward, only for the girl to quickly step in a way that kept her blocking my path. "Uh, is something wrong?"
"Well, it's just…if your win is voided, that would be rather unfortunate. Which is why I've decided to test you myself." Kurikawa reached into her bag and pulled two things out before dropping the bag and hiding her full hands behind her back. "I challenge you to a fight, Hyoudou Isashi. Your membership with the Martial Arts Club will depend on the results of said fight."
"Oh? Oh! S-So, do we just head to the clubroom, or-"
*Fwooosh*
"Ohshit!" I cried out as the girl darted towards me and-
*CLAA-ACK*
Pulled out two tessen and began slicing at me with them what the fuck?!
I ducked beneath the fan strikes before flipping back several feet away. When I stood up, I saw her giving me an appraising look.
"Ara ara~! Quite impressive that you dodged that, despite having little warning!"
"The hell is wrong with you?! Why did you attack me?!" I asked while resisting the stinging from my old bruises.
"...I, um, c-challenged you to a fight?" Kurikawa tilted her head in confusion. "Did you not hear me? I swear you were here for that."
"I didn't think we were gonna fight here! Like, outside of a ring or something!" I cried out.
"Just because we're not in a ballroom, doesn't mean we can't dance~!" the girl smiled flirtatiously.
"...Alright, I'm definitely stealing that one," I muttered.
"Ufufufu? Really? Well now, I'm afraid I can't let such burglary slide!" Kurikawa snapped her fans shut before darting forward again. "I'll have to ensure you're properly punished for it!"
I weaved through several strikes from the girl before jumping back when one of her fans opened right in my face. She snapped her second fan open before slashing it downwards, forcing me to dodge to the side. But I had no time to react to the resulting kick that swung upward and threw me back several feet.
"Hmm, a pity~! Even after everything Morizako told me, you've turned out to be such a disappointment," the girl clicked her teeth dejectedly while sauntering towards me, her fans snapping shut. "I suppose I'll have to make your defeat swift, if only to save you from the humiliation. I can at least give you that much…"
Before Kurikawa could bring her foot down, I rolled out of the way and jumped to my feet. As she turned, I charged towards her and jabbed at her legs with oblique kicks. She began jumping back with each strike before opening her fans with a loud clap and slicing them towards me.
I ducked beneath the attacks and leaned back from a few more strikes. The girl closed her weapons with a flick of her finger before moving to strike me with both of them at once. I batted her arms away and slipped beneath her guard while bringing my arms and a single leg up.
I leapt forward and thrust my knee into her stomach, then followed it up by crashing my elbow into her chest. I threw several punches into the girl's torso before finishing my combo by slamming my shoulder into her body. I heard her letting out a hacking cough as she flew several feet back.
As she stood to her feet with a shocked look, I smirked. "You wanna dance? Sure thing, gorgeous! But I'm setting the tempo~!"
With that, I charged.
I ended up getting a bunch of critiques on how this chapter was written on Spacebattles, and...yeah, I might've messed it up. I was trying something different from my usual format. I'm probably gonna rewrite the whole thing, though that rewrite will probably be longer than this, and I can't promise it'll come soon. In fact, if I keep having issues with FF, I might stop uploading here period.
I also completely forgot to mention this on the Spacebattles version, but Kurikawa shares a faceclaim with Nyotengu from DoA. So, spoilers, she's a Daitengu. Despite her poor showing here and in next chapter, she's a lot more powerful than she looks-she's just limiting herself because she's supposed to pretend to be 'human'.
There's also another little bit of foreshadowing for something that'll come up eventually. Somebody on SB figured it out, so if I do post another chapter here, I'll probably confirm it.
Now then, onto the reviews.
Zet4: Nah, the men in black are the Baddies, and they don't even know they're the baddies. As for the devils not knowing about the humans, chalk it up to other things-anything ranging from 'they're too busy dealing with the influx of refugee yokai', to 'the other factions are testing their borders and they're too focused on that'. So some things slip through their notice-after all, that's how Stray Devils can even get into Kuoh at all.
Feldragon: Yeah, Kaiju are built different. The Godzilla here is about on par with Trihexa when he's not ramping up, but he can get stronger. Ghidorah one-ups Void Ghidorah by not having the same limitations and also being a lot less inactive in how he fights.
Speedyalarm: No, Yasaka is still for Issei (he gettin' that Oyakodon course~!). For Gabriel...no? I mean, I wasn't planning for it, so I didn't write it in the outline I have for the fic. I have another Angel planned, mostly an OC, so there. As for Godzilla...yeah, MV Goji is in there. But he's asleep, just like most of the other Godzilla personalities in there. ST!Goji isn't because he's working for Ultima, who is using his own connection within the Hybrid!Godzilla to spy on the world and mess with its timeline. I explain it better on SB, I even have a threadmark for it.
For anybody whose interested, you can check out my P a treon. Unfortunately, FF. Net doesn't do the links well, so you'll have to close the spaces below/rewrite it slightly on your browser.
P a treon. com(slash) Locksoli
As always, please leave any thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism in your reviews. And thank you for reading.
